Paris under the Commune eBook

The next day, the 24th, marked the fate of the hostages,
who, in expectation of an attack of the Versaillais,
had been transferred from Mazas to La Roquette.
“Monseigneur Darboy,” writes an eye-witness
(Monsieur Dubutte, miraculously saved by an error of
name), “occupied cell No. 21 of the 4th division,
and I was at a short distance from him, in No. 26.
The cell in which the venerable prelate was confined
had been the office of one of the gaolers; it was
somewhat larger than the rest, and Monseigneur’s
companions in captivity had succeeded in obtaining
for him a chair and a table. On Wednesday, the
24th, at half-past seven in the evening, the director
of the prison—­a certain Lefrancais, who
had been a prisoner in the hulks for the space of
six years—­went up, at the head of fifty
Federals, into the gallery, near which the most important
prisoners were incarcerated. Here they ranged
themselves along the walls, and a few moments later
one of the head-gaolers opened the door of the archbishop’s
cell, and called him out. The prelate answered,
“I am here!” Then the gaoler passed on
to M. le President Bonjean’s cell (Appendix
12), then to that of Abbe Allard, member of the International
Society in Aid of the Wounded; of Pere du Coudray,
Superior of the School of Ste-Genevieve; and Pere
Clere, of the Brotherhood of Jesus; the last called
being the Abbe Deguerry, cure of the Madeleine.
As the names were called, each prisoner was led out
into the gallery and down the staircase to the courtyard;
each side, as far as I could judge, was lined with
Federal guards, who insulted the prisoners in language
that I cannot repeat. Amid the hues and cries
of these wretches my unfortunate companions were conducted
across the courtyard to the infirmary, before which
a file of soldiers were drawn up for the execution.
Monseigneur Darboy advanced and addressed his murderers—­addressed
them words of pardon: then two of the men approached
the prelate, and falling on their knees implored his
pardon. The rest of the Federals threw themselves
upon them, and thrust them aside with oaths, then,
turning to the prisoners, they heaped fresh insults
upon them. The chief officer of the detachment,
however, imposed silence on the men, and uttering an
oath, said, ‘You are here to shoot these men,
not to insult them.’ The Federals were
silenced, and upon the command of their lieutenant,
they loaded their muskets.

“Pere Allard was placed against the wall, and
was the first who was struck; then Monseigneur Darboy
fell, and the six prisoners were thus shot in turn,
showing, at this supreme moment, a saintly dignity
and a noble courage.”]